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Chief Tango sent us a link to this article. Yeah, retired General Paul Eaton wrote that. Eaton has also appeared in VoteVets campaign ads, he’s a frequent guest on Bill Maher’s show, wherever that plays these days, he was an adviser to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, then he campaigned for Barack Obama, and now, SURPRISE!, he thinks that Kerry and Hagel are a fricken Dream Team.

Kerry and Hagel share qualities and experiences sure to resonate with those who execute U.S. national security and foreign policy – on the battlefield and in the increasingly dangerous world of diplomacy.

Both men demonstrated great bravery in war and moral courage throughout their lives. Hagel, as an infantry sergeant and squad leader in Vietnam, was twice wounded, saved by his squad mate brother and then returned the favor. Kerry, not far away, operated riverine craft in an equally dangerous environment and sustained several wounds.

After such experiences, they understand the implications of deciding to use military force like few others in our civilian leadership. They know at a gut level that the decision to put our soldiers in harm’s way can traumatize those who have answered the call of duty, and affect their families, like few of life’s endeavors.

I guess, he wants to forget that Hagel called the surge in Iraq the “most dangerous blunder since Vietnam”. Who can forget how Kerry supports the troops by testifying in front of a Senate Committee in 1971 (while Eaton’s father was MIA in Vietnam and Eaton, himself, was at West Point, by the way) that they were war criminals and don’t forget Kerry’s “botched joke”; “You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Yeah, the troops were real appreciative of that joke;

Eaton continues;

Kerry, having voted to approve the use of force in Iraq with, among others, Senator Hillary Clinton, declared his intent to ensure all foreign policy tools remained on the table.

Both men later voted against the surge in Iraq in the face of substantial push-back from their colleagues.

So they waffle and bend with the political winds. That’s what the troops really appreciate, someone who will send them to war and then go wobbly when the political heat is turned up. Remember that Kerry as a citizen tried to undermine the war effort in Vietnam and peace negotiations by traveling to Paris and made offers to the North Vietnamese delegation that he couldn’t deliver on.

So yeah, that’s a real dream team you have there, General. Maybe he thinks getting Kim Il-sung for Energy Secretary would be a real coup for us. Or Joe Biden would make a good Education Secretary.

@11. No, I was talking about the Secretary of State (or Suckretary). The Secretary of Defense is in the mil chain, so far as I know. In any event, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze in speaking ill about any pols or appointees while you’re still serving. We’ll cover that until you’re free and clear!

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About thisainthell

We are all military combat veterans and we write primarily from that perspective. Everyone who writes here has a Combat Infantry Badge, a Combat Medic Badge, a Combat Action Badge or a Combat Action Ribbon. We write about issues that matter to combat veterans..read more »